


The Bonding

by hermitpanda



Series: Coffee & Pie [26]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-01-07
Packaged: 2018-09-15 13:39:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9237479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermitpanda/pseuds/hermitpanda
Summary: “I have read every book about dogs that’s available at the library, so I feel confident that you and I can work this out.” He inched closer to the kennel. Shamira’s eyes narrowed marginally and he backed up. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Damnit, I’m talking to a dog.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a dog training expert. I'm just basing Shamira and Spencer's interaction on my own interactions with my dogs (past and present) and the dogs of friends and family. If you ever have a dog bite you on the butt, you probably shouldn't handle it the same way that Spencer is. Enjoy :)  
> ~* HermitPanda *~
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the show. Just borrowing them.

Spencer closed the door of the laundry room and dropped to the floor cross-legged in front of his nemesis. “You and I are coming to an understanding. Today. Aaron thinks that I took today off to go to doctors’ appointments. I hate lying to him. Especially since I’m lying to him because of you.” He pitched his voice up slightly and allowed his speaking rhythm to mimic the singsong pattern he used when reading silly books with the kids. He felt like an idiot but several resources had asserted that puppies were like human babies and liked being spoken to that way.

 

Shamira looked at him from inside the large wire kennel Aaron had insisted she stay in while they weren’t at home. It had been two weeks since she had joined the Hotchner household. She was still wary of Spencer. She hadn’t bitten or even attempted to bite him again since that first day, but he knew that she was just waiting for her chance to strike. Aaron teased him about being paranoid, but he knew what the dog was about.

 

“I have read every book about dogs that’s available at the library, so I feel confident that you and I can work this out.” He inched closer to the kennel. Shamira’s eyes narrowed marginally and he backed up. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Damnit, I’m talking to a dog.”

 

He took a deep breath and grabbed a dog cookie out of the bag he’d hooked to his belt and held it between two of the wires so Shamira could take it. He crinkled his nose up when her tongue swiped across his fingers to take the bag. “We are going to have to work on your table manners. You’re really slimy.”

 

He leaned over and opened the kennel door. He held another cookie out where Shamira would have to stick her head out of the kennel. She eased herself out and took the offering. He allowed himself to smile slightly. It took him a half hour but he managed to coax her out of the kennel so that she was splayed on her belly in front of him eating cookies from his hand. He reached out to stroke her fur with one hand while feeding her a cookie with the other, inwardly cheering when she didn’t move away from the patting hand. 

 

“Okay, shall we give ourselves some more room?” Spencer unfolded himself from the floor. He rubbed at his knee gently. Shamira sat on her rump and looked up at him. He considered her. If he worked on capturing her behaviors like the one training book suggested, he might be able to start her on her way of being the best-behaved puppy in her puppy class when it started. Especially since he and Aaron were planning to let the kids handle her in class. He leaned down and offered a cookie. “Sit... Good Shamira.” 

 

He opened the door of the laundry room and let her into the hallway that ran from the front of the house to the back. He had left at the same time Aaron had that morning under the premise of attending the first of his doctor’s appointments but had actually gone to the store and purchased enough baby gates to block every doorway in the house. He didn’t want her zipping off in the house and disappearing when he was trying to teach her that he was a trustworthy family member. He watched Shamira zoom through the hallway, happily sliding and tumbling on the wood floor. She tumbled to a stop in front of him and sat. “Sit... Good Shamira.” He repeated and gave her the cookie. 

 

He went to the back door and waited for her to join him. He had hung a bell there for the puppy to use to alert the family that she needed or wanted to go outside. She sat a few feet away from the bell eyeing it. He clipped the retractable leash onto her collar while she studied the addition to the door. After several minutes, she nosed the bell. “Outside?” Spencer sing-songed and gave her a treat before opening the door. 

 

He hurried her over to the area that Aaron had designated for her to use to relieve herself and waited. Shamira had picked up housebreaking quickly after only a few accidents. She understood that the back door led outside and would wait patiently by it to be let out. Spencer added the bell in hopes that she would use it to tell them she was waiting since she seemed reluctant to bark. He made a note to ask the vet to check her hearing when they went for her next round of shots. She might just be a dog that didn’t like barking, but since reading in one of the books that deaf dogs rarely barked, he had worried that she might have a hearing problem. He scolded himself for worrying unnecessarily as his mind replayed every time that the puppy had responded to noise around her, but he still wanted the vet to check her. Better safe than sorry.

 

Shamira dropped a ball in front of his feet and plopped on her rump. “You want to play ball? Are you actually going to let me touch your precious ball?” He knelt down and slowly extended his hand towards the most-prized possession. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth when he finally touched it. He tossed it away and laughed when she scrambled after it. They played with the ball for a while. He chuckled when she flopped across the ball with half-closed eyes. “You’re just like the kids. Playing until you absolutely can’t keep your eyes open anymore. I think it’s naptime for you. Come on.”

 

He coaxed her inside. She went to her kennel and curled up. He went to the kitchen and ate lunch while he waited for Shamira to wander out from her kennel again. After another play session and some more capturing, Spencer locked her in the kennel and went to pick up the kids from school. 

 

Jack froze in the doorway. “What’s with the gates, Papa?” He looked back over his shoulder at him.

 

“Shamira and I have been spending the day together. I didn’t want her running around the house.” Spencer gently nudged the children inside the house. “Take her out so she can go to the bathroom and play a little bit then homework. Ring the bell on the door and say ‘outside’ before you open it.” 

 

Jack and Ali looked at each other confused. “Uh, oh-kay,” Ali finally responded. They shrugged and hurried to the laundry room to retrieve the puppy. Ali giggled when Shamira raced to Spencer and ran around his feet before scrambling to the back door. 

 

Spencer watched the trio play for a few minutes in the backyard before he reminded them that they had homework to do. He got them settled at the kitchen table with snacks and their books. “I’m making homemade pizza for dinner,” he informed them and received cheers. He looked up in surprise when he heard Aaron’s car in the garage soon after. “You’re home early.”

 

The older man nodded. “I brought files home to work on. I figured I’d keep the kids out of your hair after your appointments since you can be a grump after spending all day with doctors.” He crossed to the table and kissed the kids on their foreheads.

 

“I lied. I didn’t have any appointments.” Spencer smiled sheepishly. “I took today off to try to bond with Shamira.”

 

Aaron laughed. “And did you?”

 

“You tell me.” Spencer pointed down to where the puppy was draped across his feet as he put toppings on the pizza. 

 

His husband peered around the counter and grinned. “I told you the Reid Effect didn’t apply anymore. You just had to convince yourself of it.”

 

Spencer looked down at Shamira. “Yeah, probably.”


End file.
